Try as it might, the University of Utah baseball team can't seem to help flirting with disaster.
Exactly one week after a dramatic come-from-behind win over UVSC, the Utes watched a shutout over SUU vanish in the seventh inning, turning what appeared to be a sure rout into a fairly tense 7-3 finish.
"College baseball is funny like that," said Utah coach Bill Kinneberg. "Teams are almost always in the game until the very end."
Led by Ryan Khoury's two-run homer in the bottom of the second, the typically slow-starting Utes came out firing on all cylinders. One inning and three RBIs later, Utah sat atop a 7-0 lead, SUU's starting pitcher was on the bench, and the Thunderbird faithful were preparing for a very long afternoon.
"I really liked the way we played those first four innings," said Kinneberg. "Our offense gave us some momentum and took some of the pressure off our pitchers."
Junior pitcher Brandon Ast looked all but invincible on the mound, giving up only two hits in six innings. He shut out the Thunderbirds almost single-handedly. Ast's heroics slowly became less of a spectacle and more of a necessity as the Utes' sluggers began to resemble strike-out king Bobby Bonds more than home-run machine Barry. After their impressive seven-run explosion, Khoury and company were held to only one hit for the rest of the game.
The fans' frustration over the Utes' offensive futility became actual fear in the top of the seventh when freshman pitcher Greg Krause was shelled for two doubles and three RBIs in a span of about four minutes . . . Culprits Joe Wright and Robbie Richards took advantage of the young hurler, breathing new life into the Thunderbirds.
Thanks to Ute closer Brian Lane, however, SUU's rally was short-lived. The senior was virtually flawless in the last two innings, holding the T-Birds hitless and effectively ending any chance of a comeback.
With the win, the Utes improved to 17-13 while SUU fell to 17-12 on the year. Utah will now hit the road for a showdown against MWC foe San Diego State.